The cure for a bad case of the Me, Me, MEs …

We live in a society of “I’ve gotta have it now,” “and “It’s all about me.” And because of that, a large portion of today’s society is deeply immersed in the all-about-me mentality. Whether we’re talking about beauty pageants or reality TV shows, the act of being all-in on the, “Look at ME!” habit is pretty unattractive. This mentality, however, has spread from our personal lives into our businesses at an alarming rate. Instead of “it” being about the customer or client as it should be, it’s more about the business.

Have you ever read an article or sales page that leaves you hanging and wondering “so … is there something I’m missing?” Or ends so abruptly it leaves you feeling like a rejected party guest?

“The End” may work in fairy tales, but your content needs to keep the reader engaged and wanting to hear more from the first sentence to the last.

Here are some tips on how to achieve happy endings:

End with a promise of what is to come: Offer readers a carrot as to why they should “stay tuned” by mentioning upcoming posts, guests, events, or a hot special.

Poll the crowd: Ask your reader’s opinion in the form of an open-ended question to evoke conversation and increase engagement. This is also a great way to find topics of interest for future content.

Add a call to action: Don’t just assume your readers will know what to do ; guide them. Whether it’s to sign up for more information, make a phone call, send an email, or click a link to buy a product, end your content with a strong call to action.

Summaries: A quick summary or “take-away” is also an effective way to sum things up for your readers, as well as provide a few things for them to think about.